Gendarmerie on last night’s protest: “Our actions were eminently defensive, a proportionate response to protesters’ behaviour”

Anca Alexe 11/08/2018 | 10:44

The Romanian Gendarmerie is holding a press conference this morning following the violent clashes between officers and protesters during last night’s protest in Bucharest, where around 100,000 people gathered to chant against the PSD-ALDE coalition and the Dancila government. 

The main statements made by gendarmes:

  • 70 people are in the hospital; 11 of them gendarmerie officers
  • 8 criminal records opened last night, 33 individuals taken to police stations
  • Woman gendarme who was violently attacked after being isolated with a colleague at the edge of the square had an initial diagnosis of a possible cervical spine fracture; she is risking permanent paralysis, but no updates or her conditions since last night; her firearm was removed by one of the men attacking her, gendarmerie is searching for the weapon.
  • There were many messages in the public space spreading hate, violence, intolerance in the days before the protests – we issued a warning before the event saying that law enforcement will not tolerate such behaviour
  • Gendarmes received the order for a forceful intervention at 11:11 pm from Bucharest prefect Speranta Cliseru, a former personal counselor of Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea. Cliseru was named the new temporary prefect about a month ago through a government decision. She has previously been the Ilfov County prefect and also worked at the Voluntari City Hall, where Firea’s husband Florentin Pandele is the mayor.
  • The equipment used by officers last night were eminently defensive and only used as a reaction to attacks
  • Our responses were proportionate to the behaviour of protesters, used to re-establish the order
  • Those who stayed in the square were responsible for what happened to them
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